Close-nesting snap retainer for venetian blinds



April 8, 1952- B. WALKER 2,591,750

CLOSE-NESTING SNAP RETAINER FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Feb. 28, 1949 Fig.1-

4% J f I R T -51 122 a. 34) /33 -5 5 1w 4 j 5 3/ j f 21- 53:9- 36 352: ML 21 Patented Apr. 8, 1952 CLOSE-NESTING SNAP RETAINER FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Brooks Walker, Piedmont, Calif.

Application February 28, 1949, Serial No. 78,751

4 Claims.

The invention pertains to improved means for retaining slats in a Venetian blind when the raising cord does not go through route holes but passes between the slats and the side members of the ladder tape as shown in my issued U. S. Patent No. 2,200,349. If two-part snaps are used, one attached to the slat and the other attached to the cross member of the ladder type as has been done with commercial types of snaps, it has been found impractical to put on the fasteners between the slats and a single ladder tape due to the increase in pile caused by the thickness of the snaps when the blind is raised which causes an undesirable wedge-shaped pile of snaps and slats.

An object of this invention is to provide a means whereby a nesting place is provided in one slat to receive the snap or any portion of the attaching device for the slat under or over the slat in question so that there is a minimum amount of increase in pile and so it will be possible to attach all or a number of snaps to one ladder tape.

A further object of this invention is to provide a construction whereby snap fasteners may be all attached to one ladder tape so that the manufacturer of the tapecan sell some tape with snaps attached to each ladder rung. It is more economical for a manufacturer with automatic machinery to attach snaps to every ladder rung as the machinery is rather expensive if it is to be installed in each Venetian blind assembly or manufacturing plant.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the proper degree of retention and spring is provided in a specially designed punched hole in the metal slat material to receive a rigid stud snap. The rigid stud snap as opposed to the basket stud snap (which has a large number of flexible elements and a large number of parts) is very much cheaper to manufacture. The basket stud is also inherently larger and, therefore, tends to interfere with the compact slat pile when in the raised position. It is not new in other fields to make a cutout on both sides of the hole which receives the rigid stud to provide a little more spring. However, it is believed to be new to provide for cutouts or more than two cutouts around the hole in Venetian blind slats which receives the stud 'to provide the necessary spring so that the stud may be readily engaged and disengaged without requiring enough pressure or force to bend the slat or hurt the ladder tape to which the stud is secured.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the slats may be so punched that two spring holes are provided to receive studs placed on the cross rungs of the ladder tape in staggered relationship to each other. This eliminates the necessity of punching slats difier- -ently for the right and left placement of the studs;

Other objects of the invention are to provide simplified forms of cutting out around the stud receiving aperture to provide suitable retention between the slat and the stud without requiring a two-part snap or a basket stud.

A further object of the invention is to prevent denting or damage to the slats when raised rapidly against the tilt rail or head member or when packed for shipment due to the alternating position of the snap or stud causing a dent in the slat above or below it. This is eliminated by a hole larger than the snap or stud directly in line with the alternate position of the snap or stud in the slat above or below the slat with the hole in it.

Other features of the invention are pointed out in the attached claims and will be apparent as the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective vew, partly cut away, showing a Venetian blind incorporating one form of the invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of a slat showing the cutouts as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing another form of cutout attached to receive alternately placed studs.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of a slat showing another form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevation taken through the center of the slat showing a portion of the slat and a portion of the ladder tape illustrating a construction as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

Figure 7 is similar to Figure 5 but shows the nested position of three slats when constructed in accordance with Figures 1, 3, and 5.

Figure 6 is a plan View of a portion of the slat showing another form of the invention.

In all views, like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts.

In Figures 1, 3, 5, and 7, I have illustrated a Venetian blind in which a head rail it supports a tilt rail l2. A tilt control mechanism is is controlled by tilt cords I5. Lift cords l8 control the raising of the blind and are preferably placed at opposite sides of the slats 5 as shown at Iila and lab so that the slats may be readily removed in a construction similar to that shown in my issued U. S. Patent No. 2,200,349. Ladder tapes 2| and 22 support the slats 5 in spaced relationship and also support the bottom rail 1 to which the lift cords la and I8b are anchored. An equalizer l9 allows for adjustment between the cords la and lab to provide level lifting of the bottom rail 1 relative to head rail H). A rigid type stud 3%] is attached to the cross rung of ladder tape 2 l, preferably one ,on each slat supporting station.

It is u's'u'al'in Venetian blind ladder tapes to use staggered ladder rungs with the alternate ones on the opposite sides of the lifting cord, such as l8b. If double ladder rungs are used, it is preferably to place the studs at the opposite sides of the lift cord at each successive ladder supporting station so that the stud base or stud end may be received by the hole 3i which is preferably of a size sufficient to receive the base of the stud with some clearance to allow for misalignment. Punched hole 50 preferably has more than two cutouts around the center stud receiv ing circular cutout to provide spring on the metal portionsextendingto the stud engaging edges of the output which will provide the desired ease of engagement and diseng agement 'while still providing s'ufiicient retention to prevent dislodging of the slat when being rapidly raised or lowered, when exposed to ,wind or when being dusted or cleaned, or ,whenthe slat is exposed to any other on, dis u b naforc A,

In Figure 4; I have shown another form of cutout which two cutouts 33 and 34 provide apertures at their center for receiving the stud, such as 31!, in either right or left location without the necessity of s'ortingthe slats, and the cutout at both sides of the slat receiving aperture is of sufficient length to provide spring to the two sides of thecenter cutout so that a rigid stud may be used rather than the more expensive basket stud.

Engagement andretention of this type of cutout 3 3 is considerably stiffer than when a cutout suchasbfl of Figure 3 is used. In Figure 2, I have shown another form of cutout 4D with one long continuous slothaving tworigid stud receiving enlargementsjlla and l ii b to receive the studs in their right and left positions with the spring provided by the longer cutout, fI his will provide a somewhat intermediate retention between the construction shown in the cutouts in Figure 4 and the cutout of Figure 3; In Figure 6, I have shown another form of slat cutout adaptedto receive arigid type stud in which the cutouts 35 and 3 6are similar to cutouts 33 and 34 of Figure epbut inaddition there are provided additional cutoutstta and 36b and 35a and 35b to provide an additional yield on the edges of the slat which engage the slat-positioning stud, such as 30. r

I do not wish in any way to lirnit myself to the exaotde'ta'i ls or mode of operation set forth in the specification and drawings, for it will be obvious that wide departure may be made in the 4 way of details without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention which is set forth in the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a Venetian blind having slats and flexible ladders for supporting the slats in spaced relationship, said ladders having staggered cross members on which the slats rest, a stud secured on each cross member, said slats having cutout portion adapted to receive said stud, other studs mounted on said ladder staggered cross members, and apertures spaced from the cutout portion in said slat and larger than said stud and substantially in vertical alignment with the studs alternately positioned from the stud which engages said slat.

2. A Venetian blind having slats, a ladder for supporting the slats in spaced relationship, a series of cross members on said ladder located at the opposite sides of the center of the side members of said ladder tape, studssecured to said cross members located at the opposite sides of the center of said side members of the supporting tape and at adjacent slat supporting stations; a pair of apertures in said slats, one of said apertures adapted to receive one of the studs and the other aperture adapted to provide guidance of another stud. A t I t H 3. A Venetianjblind having slats, a ladder for supporting the slats in staggered relationship, a series of cross members on said ladder located at the opposite sides of the center of the side members of said ladder tape, studs supported by said cross members located at the opposite sides of the center of said side members of the supporting tape at adjacent slat supporting stations, a pair of apertures in said slats, one adapted to snap over one of the studs and the other to cooperate with a lower positioned stud for centering the slat when in raised and nested position.

4. In a Venetian blind having slats a'nd slat supporting ladder tape with cross rungs in staggered relationship, slat retaining studs mounted on said cross rungs and slats provided with two apertures, one for receiving and retaining said stud and the other for providing centering for the adjacent staggered "stud when the slats are in nested raised position.

BROOKS WALKER.

REFERENCES 'CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES 'FATENTS Number Name Date 1,309,586 Nelson July 8, 1919 1,690,662 Carr Nov. 6, 1928 1,964,002 Lester Julie 26,1934 2,311,716 Walker Feb. 23, 1943 2,381,060 Kahn Aug. '7, 1945 

